'Blue Velvet'

A Reason To Smile

Credit: Getty Images

My mind is awash in memories these days … so much to reflect on. Jean and I shared everything over the 67 years of our marriage. She was a wonderful woman and partner, and I miss her dearly. Someone asked me the other day if I remembered our first date. Of course, like it was yesterday. The year was 1956. Jean Goebel was working as a secretary at KTRH, the radio station in Houston where I was a young reporter. It took me a few weeks, but I finally summoned the courage to ask her out. When she said yes, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. We decided to go dancing. I’ve tried to remember the name of the place. No doubt it’s long gone now. But I will never forget our first dance, and the song playing on the jukebox. It was Tony Bennett’s top 20 hit, “Blue Velvet.”

Though finding joy is challenging for me right now, this song does give me a reason to smile. I hope it gives you one too. Even though it’s from a lifetime ago, a good love song is timeless.

Listening to the song now brings back everything about the night that changed my life.

We couldn’t find a video of Mr. Bennett from the 1950s. But he re-recorded the song with k.d. lang in 2011 as part of his Duets II album. It is a beautiful rendition.

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Stay Steady,

Dan